Asking portfolio questions

There are many knowledgeable and helpful people who are part of this online community. Many of these posters are willing to share their time and expertise with new posters who are looking for help, but they can't or won't give advice in a vacuum.

We need to know some important things about you, including all the investments you already have. Otherwise, we may be advising you to buy into a fund that overlaps your present holding(s), doesn't fit your asset allocation plan, or, worse, is too risky or too conservative for your investing temperament.

Over the years a practice on asking portfolio questions has emerged on this forum initiated by forummember Laura. [note 1] . The practice uses a standard template that allows the responders to quickly locate the information they are lookin for.

To make sure you get the help you need, please consider the instructions on this page.

Contents

Posting

When you have researched your retirement plan options and have a list of your current investments, it is time to post.
We do not need to know your name or the exact amount of money you have invested or anything else that will identify you.

Key Points

Please make sure that percentages add up to 100% across all of your accounts, not within each account.

Please make sure that you've provided all the information requested above. Omitting information often results in delays and/or longer exchanges.

Please post fund names, not just ticker symbols.

If you have an account in a retirement plan with your employer, be sure to enter the expense ratios for the funds as they are in your company's specific plan; often the fund expense ratios in 401k/403b/457 plans are different from the "retail" expense ratios you will find for a fund when doing an internet search.

If you see several different expense ratios for a single fund, use the net expense ratio.

Etiquette

If asked to add additional information, please use the edit button (upper right hand side of your post) to add the information to your original post.

Please make all responses and additions to your original post in the same conversation rather than creating a new topic. It helps everyone if the history of the discussion is available in one place.

Many replies ask a great deal of effort by the posters. We simply ask that if you receive replies, you go back and respond to them in some way. It's a hollow feeling for those of us who respond to questions to never hear back from the person who started the conversation. Remember, the purpose of this is to have a conversation! We are NOT expecting a thank-you necessarily, but feedback on what you found helpful, if anything. We appreciate hearing back from you.

USING CAPITALIZED LETTERS is considered rude (it's shouting). Caps are good for emphasis, but are hard to read. If you consistently post in CAPS, some people may not bother to read and respond to your questions.

Preparing to make a post can be a significant learning experience for you. We appreciate posts that show careful planning. This doesn't mean your questions must be complex or show extensive investment knowledge. We really enjoy simple ones and want beginning investors to feel very welcome. Our goal is to help. We hope that this post gives you some guidance, so that you can get the kinds of answers you deserve. And, if you'd like, give us a friendly first name at the close of your post.